Throwback Thursday: 'Here's What Would Happen in a Disaster,' Sept. 10, 1953

September is National Preparedness Month, and we couldn't have found a better Throwback subject than this Tribune-Herald newspaper feature from Sept. 10, 1953.

In his article, "Here's What Would Happen In Disaster," staff writer Don Shasteen explained Memorial Hospital of Natrona County's response plans for mass casulties, epidemics and other events that could overwehelm resources.

"Several weeks agao, the entire cities of Waco, Tex., San Angelo, Tex., Fint, Mich., and Farmington, Mass., were dependent upon local hospitals, their nursing facilities and their medical staffs for mass emergency treatment. Tornadoes had whipped hundreds of peaceful citizens into disaster victims," Shasteen wrote.

"Before they go to the polls on Tuesday to support or to junk a proposed million-dollar hospital expansion program, Natrona County voters have a right to know how their hospital would respond to a similar disaster or epidemic call – be it under today's over-crowded conditions or under conditions of adequacy after expansion."

Today, Wyoming Medical Center has an Emergency Management Committee to oversee our disaster response, and we drill staff and providers on all manner of emergencies – whether they be natural or man made.

You can read more about our 1953 response plans in the cutlines below.

Throwback Thursday looks back on Wyoming Medical Center’s long, rich history in Natrona County. Special thanks to the Casper College Western History Center, which archives our vast collection of newspaper articles, photographs and other memorabilia; and to "Wyoming Medical Center: A Centennial History," by Rebecca A. Hunt, Ph.D. Information is also collected from a collection of Hi-Lites, Wyoming Medical Center's employee newsletter, dating from 1982-1996.